Atta Girl, Michelle Obama: Let’s Move!

Atta girl, Michelle Obama. Thank you for the personal, passionate and most excellent articulation of a big problem facing nearly 1/3 of all children in the US today.

Michelle Obama’s introduction of Let’s Move to end childhood obesity in one generation will do wonders.

Thank you, Michelle. I know we’re not personally friends but you do send me regular e-mails and sign them, “Michelle.” So we’ll go forth on a first name basis. And whenever you’re ready for a play date, I’m game. Let’s meet at your house; we’ll introduce the husbands.

Let’s end the obesity challenge for our children, now. Speaking of now, now that about 1/3 of the children I see in the office are overweight, I spend hours (read: hours) every day in clinic talking about it. I worry our country’s problem with obesity isn’t going away any time soon. As a pediatrician I can help my patients gain perspective and knowledge but I ultimately need my patients to help themselves move more, eat right and turn off the TV. They need help from their families and communities to do this. Hard to do. Like most things in my life, these kids (and all of us!) need a lot of help from our friends.

Obesity.

The word deserves it’s own sentence despite the lack of noun, verb, object of the preposition type requisites of normal sentences. In blogworld (o-sphere?), I get to use fragments and triumph over my beastly grammar check. Obesity: it’s bigness and a big problem.

Here’s what I like about the new initiative, Let’s Move, that Michelle announced from The White House yesterday, despite the snow. Lots of links to learn more, clickfest below:

Michelle Obama is sharing her story. Making it personal helps. Stories matter <—Watch this video. What we hear changes what we do. The First Lady’s story matters. Hearing more than one story, or one blog, is essential to gain a complete understanding. I am delighted to hear that Michelle Obama is willing to tell us her story of her children and efforts to fight obesity in her own home. While she discusses the seemingly simple, yet enormous challenge all parents face when trying to get their kids to eat right and exercise enough, she instructs. Getting a peek inside those big white doors helps.

The more we talk about reversing obesity, the more we learn from each other and the more we preserve our children’s health. This is getting people talking. Twitter was on fire today with chatter about Let’s Move. Let’s end the childhood obesity epidemic. <—-Webinar. Webinar is to seminar as obesity is to__________? Come on SAT skills…

The problem of obesity is complex. Behaviors that lead to children to overeat and under-move/under-exercise are what is getting us into trouble. Studies find that obesity in children is slowing but not retreating. Now is the time to pounce.

This is not just about appearances. Although devastating and overwhelming for some teens who feel “fat,” the problem with obesity is also what fat looks like on the inside. Children who are obese are more likely to be obese as adults.

3 things can improve a child’s weight. Easy to think about, hard to implement. Eat well, limit TV & screen time, and sleep enough. Really and truly, data to back this up!

Let’s Move can bring a reality to check to lots of children! Many studies have found that adolescents who are overweight often don’t believe they’re overweight. Convenient self-denial or simple misunderstandings? Go to your pediatrician and find out where your child falls on the growth grid. Yearly.

Go to those yearly check-ups. Find out where your child is on the weight spectrum. And follow along as Michelle Obama helps make change and gets us moving. Atta girl, First Lady! Thanks for the help.

I agree that using stories is complicated. That is the thing with sharing personal stories, there really is risk involved. I wonder if Michelle Obama’s daughters really are left out, though. Don’t you think she discussed her anecdotes with them prior to going public? I would certainly expect that her mama bear role trumps all her initiative and goals with Let’s Move. She describes herself first and foremost as a “mother.” I know as mom to F and O, I think about every story I tell to my patients, my friends, and my blog and weigh the risk/benefit ratio when doing it. But I know, too, it’s complicated when we get passionate about something…

I think it’s great to get kids outside and moving. I also know that, depending on where you live and what your schedule is, it can be hard to support this fully and safely. But here’s another thought: What if we found another way to teach kids that didn’t involve gluing them to a chair for the largest part of the day? Is there a way to integrate movement and physical activity with learning? Already, brain studies are showing that people think better when they’ve gotten in some movement. And some people just do not learn when they’re sitting down. If you know of anyone who is working on these issues, I’d love to hear more about it.

I agree that we should give her the benefit of the doubt and hope that she discussed it with her daughters first. But even then, is it really appropriate? In my opinion, there are just very few times that it’s okay to basically say “my kid is fat” in a public forum, without causing some emotional stress to the child involved. In a private meeting with a physician, it’s another issue. But on national television? No.

Reading a recent parent magazine, most of the articles about food encouraged sugar intake…”you know your kids won’t eat carrots, so give them these organic cookies instead” and “sprinkle sugar on fruit so the kids will actually eat the good stuff” as if adding sugar to fruit would make it taste better. What?? How far can this sugar high take us? I fear that sugar is everywhere in food, hidden or not. Reading that parents are learning to add sugar to already-nutritious foods is scary. Mom friends praise the Sneaky Chef and hiding vegetables in their children’s meals. Where did this *fear* of fruits and vegetables come from? Are we imparting this fear of good food on our children? Do you have recommendations on parent magazines that speak to the healthy child and family? (I say magazine and not book because I haven’t read an entire book since my son was born)

Ashlee, I agree: I hate the books and recipe ideas out there that advise parents on how to sneak food into your child. It’s simply not the way to help a child enjoy healthy eating and learn how to feed their body. In regards to your question about what to read…I don’t have a great response. Will survey some moms-pediatricians out there and see what they say. But your point about magazine over book is well received; I haven’t read a whole book since before F was born!! I’ll keep you posted…

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